“Do you want to be healed?” ~Jesus

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Heal, Healing, Jesus, John, John 5, John 5:1-9

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Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” ⁹And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. ^[1]

John 5:1-9

Jesus has the authority to heal. And He does. When He says something, you can take it to the bank. His first question is “Do you want to be healed?”

For this man, who was crippled and couldn’t walk, it was a simple get up and start walking. The man acted on what Jesus said. His belief and action did it. He was healed. He got up, picked up his bedroll and walked off. Stunning!

God is great. Jesus has all authority given to him by God our Father.

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

God heals. Jesus heals. The word of God teaches us that God is in the healing business.

Sometimes we pray and there is no healing. Sometimes we pray and there is healing. That is God’s business. Both God and Jesus encourage us to pray. We are to call the elders and ask them to pray for us.

Approximately one fifth of the Gospel narrative is devoted to Jesus’ healing ministry. At the start of His ministry, Jesus “went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” (Matthew 4:23).

God is the author of healing. Now that is some stunning news. That is the good news of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is King. Jesus is in control. Jesus wants to heal me.

James 5:14-16 — 14 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.
2 Kings 20:1–11 — 1 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Master, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’ ” 2 Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Master, saying, 3 “Remember now, O Master, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Master came to him, saying, 5 “Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Master, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Master. 6 “I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.” ’ ” 7 Then Isaiah said, “Take a cake of figs.” And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. 8 Now Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Master will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Master the third day?” 9 Isaiah said, “This shall be the sign to you from the Master, that the Master will do the thing that He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?” 10 So Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to decline ten steps; no, but let the shadow turn backward ten steps.” 11 Isaiah the prophet cried to the Master, and He brought the shadow on the stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.
Exodus 15:26 — And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Master your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Master, am your healer.”

Good news: God is good. God is in a good mood, all the time. Jesus is in a healing mood. That is some very good news.

Matthew 8:2–3 (NASB) — 2 And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Master, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Luke 4:18 — 18 “The Spirit of the Master is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed,
Matthew 9:27–30 — 27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Master.” 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!”
Matthew 14:34–36 — 34 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; 36 and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured.
Matthew 15:21–28 — 21 Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Master, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” 23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Master, help me!” 26 And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 But she said, “Yes, Master; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.
Mark 1:32–34 — 32 When evening came, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed. 33 And the whole city had gathered at the door. 34 And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.
Luke 6:17–19 — 17 Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. 19 And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.
Luke 8:48 — 48 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
Luke 9:11 — 11 But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.
Luke 17:19 — 19 And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”